CCBC Booklists

CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

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Burn

by Patrick Ness

CCBC Review:

In an alternate 1957, where dragons are real though not generally trusted, biracial (Black/white) Sarah Dewhurst’s widowed white father has hired a Blue named Kazimir to clear his fields. Sarah knows little about dragons but is intrigued by thoughtful Kazimir. Malcolm belongs to a dragon-worshipping cult whose mysterious leader has charged him with assassinating Sarah because of a prophecy. FBI Agents Dernovich and Wolf are in pursuit of Malcolm. On the way to kill Sarah, Malcolm’s singlemindedness falters when he meets and falls in love with a young man named Nelson. Kazimir saves Sarah and her best friend, Japanese American Jason, from a violent, racist deputy sheriff. Agent Dernovich is murdered. The Russians launch Sputnik. A portal opens. Everything falls apart. End Part 1. In Part 2, Sarah, Malcom, and much transformed Kazimir and Agent Wolf find themselves in a parallel universe—1957 of our world. Kazimir is human; Sarah’s mother is alive and shocked to see a girl claiming to be her daughter, who died of cancer; Malcolm grapples with guilt and remorse—for the cold killing he’s done, for abandoning Nelson; and the dragon goddess Mitea is set on destroying humanity—one city at a time. Sarah, Kazimir, Malcolm, the Agent Dernovich of this world, and others are set on stopping her. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, when the threat of violence and annihilation was a subtext of human existence, this richly imagined, unsettling story raises provocative questions about our humanity. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 14 and older
Age Range: Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format: Novel
Subjects: 20th Century African Americans Cold War Ethical/Moral Choices Faith, Spirituality and Religion Fantasy Gays Guilt and Remorse Historical Fiction LGBTQ+ Persons Multiracial Characters/Families Parallel Worlds Racism Violence
Diversity subject: Black/African
On CCBC Booklists: Speculative and Science Fiction for Children and Teens Fantastic Fiction: Great Fantasy Books for Ages 11 to 17

Publishers: HarperCollins, HarperTeen
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 371
ISBN: 9780062869494
CCBC Location: Fiction, Ness

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